Fuck You Stephen Harper

Stephen Harper is pleading with traditional Liberal voters to support his Conservatives to stave off a “disastrous” leftist government headed by NDP Leader Jack Layton.

Oh, and if you do stumble into a Majority, come get some, shithead.  It ain't even fair fucking with you clowns unless the numbers are 10 to 1 in your favor.

Ontario Still Not There For CPoC Majority; Masturbagate Still Non-Story

NANOS shows the NDP down a bit; the CPoC up a bit, but not in Ontario, where they need to be if they want their majority.   Because who cares how high they soar in Alberta, as long as the people out there only get to vote once?

As for Jack's visit to the alleged "rub and tug"; I suspect if anything the story will only work to his benefit, this late in the game.  People will see that the CPoC (and of course we all know this stuff originated with the CPoC) is getting desperate.  Remember the Rob Ford campaign.  At a certain point, the stories about Ford's improprieties were all dismissed as the kind of garbage you would expect under the circumstances. 

And in the end, this story is roughly equivalent to Jack's getting pulled over at an intersection where people often speed, but  found to be not guilty of speeding. 

Fox News North Seals NDP Majority!

Just to get something out of the way quick.  Jack Layton's been a public figure in Toronto for as long as I've been here, which is over 25 years, and under the public spotlight that long.  This claim is bullshit, though I can't remember if its bullshit I've heard before--years ago--or not. 

And I don't know what the guys at SunTV think they can accomplish with this kind of nonsense.  |Maybe its simply a matter of bumping up their hourly viewing numbers into double-digits.  But you're not going to turn people against the NDP by running this blatent a smear against their leader.

Reality Stomps On Tory Good News Story Of The Day!

Real gross domestic product decreased 0.2% in February following a 0.5% increase in January. Manufacturing and, to a lesser extent, wholesale trade were the main sources of the decline. The decrease in manufacturing resulted in a 0.6% decline in goods-producing industries.

Actually, one months data doesn't mean much, but nevertheless every piece economic good news in the hands of a party that's running on its economic record  is a weapon.  Instead, the last weekend before election 41 Stephen Harper just got handed the equivalent of a bag full of crap. 

Interesting too, that growth going forward is expected to be pretty sub-standard, all based on high-gas prices and a lousy U.S. housing market.  If I were Jack Layton, I might want to let the Tories bleed a little before dropping them and forming the Layton/Rae coalition. 

Or perhaps, because he says he's going to run for something, the Layton/Kinsella coalition.

He Might As Well Go Back To Blogging

Some Fox News North Viewership Numbers.  Bolding is mine:

This past Sunday in prime time, SNN's Charles Adler drew 7,000 viewers at 8ET, Brian Lilley 4,000 at 9 and Ezra Levant 2,000 overnight, estimated 2+ viewers at 10 p.m.

HRCs/HRTs: Through American Eyes

There was a huge dump of Canada-related wikileaks today, which can be found here.  As it turns out, our American cousins have monitored the controversy over our federal and provincial Human Rights Commissions/Tribunals over the past couple of years.  There are several diplomatic cables given over to the topic, my favorite being this one re the Macleans Magazine/Steyn complaint:

The Maclean's case is only the second complaint to be brought under the discriminatory publications provisions of the British Columbia Human Rights Code. Officials informally commented to Poloff that the case proceeded to the hearing stage largely because neither party would agree to mediation, and because Maclean's refused to file an application for dismissal of the case, implying that both sides were looking to gain publicity for their causes.

Another interesting one from late 2009, stating that the issue was dead politically:

(SBU) Comment: There is little public debate over or political interest now in overhauling Canada's federal and provincial human rights legislation -- including Parliamentary abrogation of Section 13 language on penalties-- despite the earlier spike of interest in the Maclean's case.

And yet Ezra drones on and on.

NDP Wave Hits Ontario

...just in time to make this guy look silly.

The national numbers look increasingly crap for Liberals.  But the Ontario regionals are pretty much saying no majority for Harper as they start shedding votes to, it seems, both LPoC and NDP.  Anyway, cheer up Libs, pain builds character!  And think of what it means for ME.  I've lobbied for those Senate seats (for me and the wife) for ages now, and its all going to heck.  Who'd of thought I should have been sucking up to Jack?  I've already voted this time, but maybe it isn't too late to rename the blog LeftCoast Hipster and get out my old beret.  Just don't make me listen to Pete Seeger.  

Anyway, Libs will always have Moncton:

Just A Few Things

The Tyee has a nice piece on the real Bruce Carson scandal:
Harper's key political troubleshooter and problem fixer gets lobbied for money for a new university think tank.

He then leaves the Prime Minister's Office and becomes executive director of that same think tank: the Canada School of Energy and the Environment.

It's mostly funded by a $15-million grant from the Harper government.

The former senior advisor alters the school's mandate to permit government lobbying and policy development on the oil sands.

He then lobbies for more federal money, $25 million, and gets it.

And, in keeping with the on-line privacy stories that have been large in the news recently, Here's a list of iphone and android Apps that outlines the information they collect on their users and email bank to company HQ.

Patrick Muttart Strikes Back!

In the news release from Muttart's employer Mercury LLC, it sounds like Patrick is pledging fealty to Fox News North. Grovelling, actually. Excerpts follow:

The most disappointing assertion in Mr. Peladeau's column is his "belief" that Muttart sought to "damage the integrity and credibility of Sun Media and, more pointedly, that of our new television operation, Sun News."

This assertion is false and downright bizarre.

For the record, Mercury was hired by Quebecor to assist Sun News with its pre-license branding and positioning. Muttart worked with a creative agency to develop the network's original logo (a modified version is currently in use). And he was the original source for the network's "hard news" and "straight talk" framing language. Even after Mercury's engagement with Sun News came to an end, Muttart was asked for and provided pro bono feedback on the network's graphics and on-air promotional spots. Muttart was so committed to the success of Sun News he proactively reached out to a number of current, former and prospective clients about advertising on Sun News and facilitated a number of introductions. Again, he did this pro bono as a supporter of Sun News.

Given the way Fox News North has been a bust so far, maybe Mr. Muttart's association with its graphic design team was enough to send Mr. Peladeau into paroxysms of rage.

Shades Of 1990?

Conservative leader Stephen Harper no longer enjoys a comfortable lead ahead of the surging NDP, as a new poll shows the left-leaning party swelling to within just a few points of the reigning Tories.

There are similarities to Bob Rae's surprise victory in Ontario that year: an election nobody wanted, NDP candidates from no-hope ridings who were just phoning it in but found (to their horror in some cases) that they might actually win. 

Probably not, but one argument against that does not convince me is the notion that the absence of a "ground game" will be an impediment in Que. and elsewhere.  I mean gee whiz: all you have to do is stumble down to a polling station. It isn't really that onerous a task.

CPoC Jerks Around Official Organ

...Pierre Peladeau claims Member of Canoe Network abused!

NOW On Jason Kenney And The Anti-Gay Comic

They take note of Kenney's appearance at Guy Earle's 2008 fundraiser.  Di Matteo says he emailed Kenney to see if he had changed his views  since the judgement dropped, but the Minister has gone to ground.

My Kind Of Canada

Serious.This would be cool.  Iggy gets his gold watch and a one-way bus back ticket to Harvard, and all LPoC Members--not just delegates to some booze and decadence soaked convention--get to choose his successor.  Which will be a less exciting process than you might think, because nobody will apply for the job but Bob Rae.

Coalition Leader Layton ditches that silly "O Canada" for "In-A-Gadda_Da-Vida" or maybe, if he's old school, "Your Land Is My Land" by Woody Guthrie.  And flat-bed trucks full of teamsters patrol the streets, distributing free beer.

Mind you, at the moment I am still predicting a larger Tory Minority.  But a guy can dream.

Michelle Erstikaitis Booted From Moore Campaign

One of the most bizarre incidents of this campaign is right, and first picked up by ARC (and me), who have updated their post as more (bizarre!) information has become available.

Best One-Liner Of Election 41

How true how true.  The volunteers move slower than a bunch of Union guys on coffee break filmed in slow motion.

h/t

On CPoC No Shows

Here's the official explanation from Ryan Sparrow:

We provide support for candidates to participate in candidates debates, but we don't instruct them not to attend debates. Most candidates would prefer to meet with voters one on one though instead of debating their opponents in crowds of committed supporters of the different parties.

And here is the rather extensive list.

PS.  This list first appeared here on the 19th.  It's grown considerably in the meantime.

Your Daily Nazi: Conservatives Pick-Up A White Supremacist Campaign Worker

Michelle Erstikaitis/Lisson Working for Kevin Moore?  It would certainly appear so.  She has taken to twitter on his behalf.  Here's a bit about her, from the T.O. Star, when she threatened to kill Debbie Mahaffy.  Here's her Facebook page, where she confirms the Lisson=Erstikaitis identity and notes her "White Nationalist" political views.

When Will Fox News North Sacrifice Their First Liberal?

In absence of anything more important happening this fine Sunday, I leave you with an analysis of Ezra Levant's chain-saw wileding technique. Also, Buckets wonders what might happen if crazy boy goes off on PETA. And how will he celebrate Trudeau's birthday? The anniversay of Woodstock?  Remember, Ez, only police are allowed to kick hippies.

News From Sri Lanka: Tamil Tigers Support Harper And Hudak!

The Sri Lanka Daily News weighs in on the CPoC problems with Tamil Tiger supporters:

Since the war ended in 2009, remnants of the Tigers' large Canadian support base, based mainly in Toronto, have aligned themselves with the federal Tories and the Ontario Progressive Conservatives.

I suppose, as a LPoC partisan, I should worry that we've lost their support.

PS. I am informed the story quoted is a 100% rehash of this from the G&M.  Clearly, that means the SLDN trusts 'em to tell the truth!

And They Called It Hard News

To protest Earth Day Ezra Levant saws up a cedar shrubbery, a $19.99 purchase from Crappy Tire. Says more about Sun TV's tiny budget than anything. If it had been the real Fox News, they'd have napalmed an entire forest.